Scientific Reports (May 2024)

Distribution and pathogen prevalence of field-collected ticks from south-western Korea: a study from 2019 to 2022

  • Kwang gon Kim,
  • Da jeong Hwang,
  • Jung wook Park,
  • Mi geum Ryu,
  • Yujin Kim,
  • So-Jin Yang,
  • Ji-Eun Lee,
  • Gi seong Lee,
  • Ju Hye Lee,
  • Ji sun Park,
  • Jung mi Seo,
  • Sun-hee Kim

DOI
https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-024-61126-y
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 14, no. 1
pp. 1 – 12

Abstract

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Abstract Hard ticks are known vectors of various pathogens, including the severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome virus, Rickettsia spp., Coxiella burnetii, Borrelia spp., Anaplasma phagocytophilum, and Ehrlichia spp. This study aims to investigate the distribution and prevalence of tick-borne pathogens in southwestern Korea from 2019 to 2022. A total of 13,280 ticks were collected during the study period, with H. longicornis accounting for 86.1% of the collected ticks. H. flava, I. nipponensis and A. testudinarium comprised 9.4%, 3.6%, and 0.8% of the ticks, respectively. Among 983 pools tested, Rickettsia spp. (216 pools, 1.6% MIR) were the most prevalent pathogens across all tick species, with R. japonica and R. monacensis frequently detected in I. nipponensis and Haemaphysalis spp., respectively. Borrelia spp. (28 pools, 0.2% MIR) were predominantly detected in I. nipponensis (27 pools, 13.8% MIR, P < 0.001). Co-infections, mainly involving Rickettsia monacensis and Borrelia afzelii, were detected in I. nipponensis. Notably, this study identified R. monacensis for the first time in A. testudinarium in South Korea. These findings offer valuable insights into the tick population and associated pathogens in the region, underscoring the importance of tick-borne disease surveillance and prevention measures.